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Monday, April 15, 2013

Meatless Monday Lunch: Lemonade (Venice)

Date: Monday, April 8, 2013Restaurant: LemonadeAddress: 1661 Abbot Kinney Blvd., VeniceOrdered: New Mexican and Orecchiette marketplace saladsThoughts: As someone who spends a healthy amount of my days parked in front of my laptop at the new TOMS store/coffee shop on Abbot Kinney, I am often perplexed by the lack of quick lunch options in the area. If it really is the coolest/most popular/most expensive street in the Soutland, then don't you think there should be hasty dining options for all those pedestrians? You would think so - but there isn't. Blame the astronomical rent. You basically have Abbot's pizza, Gjelina Take Away (which I adore, but due to popularity usually takes much longer than it should) and the soon-to-come Belly Up sandwich shop. And then there's Lemonade, which offers dozens of marketplace salads, sandwiches, soups, roasts, desserts and, of course, lemonades, to mix and match. Due to their overwhelming cafeteria-sized menu and a very seasonally rotated menu, I almost always end up at Lemonade. Usually I get a marketplace salad or two and a protein. This time, however, it was Meatless Monday - and I needed to find something to fill me up sans carne. After thoroughly reviewing the menu (literally stared at it for a good nine minutes), I decided on my current favorite seasonal salad, the New Mexican (chili roasted butternut squash, white corn and scallion ranch) and what appeared to be able to fill me up most adequately, the Orechiette (w/ cherry tomato, brocolini and feta cheese). Although I thoroughly enjoyed both salads -- especially after sort of combining them together and eating as one -- next time I need to get a third marketplace salad for MM. Obviously this was not Lemonade's fault in any way, just my underestimate of my burning hunger inside. That said, Lemonade, with a dizzying array of options, is a great Meatless Monday destination. Find one of their 11 local locations here.Did I Miss Meat?: Yes.